Now here’s a program that, had it been in place when I was in school,
would have assured a pristine attendance record. High school seniors at
over 200 schools in 26 Tennessee counties could win a 2008 Chevy Cobalt
via the Drive for Perfection program. The program will award five students with a new sedan for having perfect attendance. How cool is that?
According
to the US Dept. of Education, students who miss school due to reasons
other than illness are more likely to drop out or fall behind in the
classroom. The Drive for Perfection program gives added incentive for
seniors to finish school.
Winners will be determined at the end of the school
year. This program is presented by Chevrolet and the Middle Tennessee
Chevrolet Dealers in partnership with the Tennessee Department of
Education and is in its second year.
This really sounds like a great incentive program for schools. I’m
surprised that we haven’t heard of more states doing it (they may be
and we just haven’t heard it yet). For one, it encourages better
attendance. And greater attendance equals more money in the school’s
pocket, since most of them are paid by the number of students present
in class each day. And that sounds like a double win for the schools.
It shouldn’t be that hard for other states to get their local Chevrolet
dealers to participate, since it would be excellent good-will publicity
for the dealerships. For more info about the program, or to see if your
school is participating, contact your local dealership or visit GM’s
site.
Photo © GM.
By Becky Scott
Contributing Editor